Monday, January 24, 2011

miscellaneous


1. i ran 7 miles yesterday. 
the last time i ran 7 miles, i was in my 20's.  
 ice ice baby was the #1 song
(which may suprise you, is actually on my running playlist).
and acid washed jeans
& cowboy boots were in style
(which will segue smoothly into my second point).

i was so excited with myself
that i didn't pass go nor did i collect $200,
i did however celebrate by driving through mcd's & ordering a double cheeseburger.
true story.
rockin' boots pair #1

( christmas present from dan)

2. i've been looking for a new pair of cowboy boots for a while.
the last time i purchased cowboy boots 
beverly hills 90210 premiered on fox.

purchasing a good pair of boots can be a bit tricky
but these fit me like a glove
so i ended up with two.
therefore
every single day
( that i've actually dressed & left the house)
i have wore one of these 
for the last 2 months.
yet another riveting true story.


3. it's only January 24
& yes, i'm already behind in my 365 reading through bible.
super.



4. i did however read the latest novella from my favorite fiction author
this weekend
( The Perfect Love Song by Patti Callahan Henry).

probably shouldn't admit that right after the bible confession.
sweet book with a couple quotes i'd love to share:

"your story, your life, and your journey 
all involve what came before you 
& what comes after-
all hints of who you are"

&

"all of our lives we must choose between
what others define us to be
& who we are meant to be"



5. totally loving the 365 photo project.
the moon was spectacular the other evening.
as far as my settings, i don't know if i did everything correctly
but i'm glad i'm learning
& making that a priority.
i have also uploaded the first three weeks onto my photoblog


6. the html coding is not working 
on either of my blog buttons.
hope to get that remedied this week.

7. & finally
this should probably deserve a post on it's own
but i'll share today nonetheless.

our church family lost an amazing godly woman this week.
becka passed away unexpectadly after experiencing complications from a kidney stone.
she was a dynamic staff member
known for her gracious smile and hospitality to everyone that walked through the door.
she left behind a precious husband who adored her.
she left behind three young children who clearly thought she was amazing.

i heard yesterday that her funeral was the largest one at our church
however she never spoke on the stage.
but what an impact she made loving & serving others.

one of my dearest friends, jodi, was best friends with becka.
jodi's tribute saturday morning at the funeral 
was one of the most powerful, beautiful, heartfelt that i've ever heard.
she spoke , infront of thousands, to each child
& told them specifically how much their mama loved them.
she told becka's husband that in all the years they were friends
she never once heard becka say anything ugly about him.
only how much she was proud to be his wife.

i sat there and wept
for those babies
& for that dear man who truly adored his bride.
i thought of the loss her 'best friends' are experiencing
& the big hole at our church now that she's gone.

i thought about the legacy that she left
& the call to love others well.
i thought about the strength and resolve
of women in times of crisis
& how priceless our relationships are.



i chose a verse this year
that i pray for both in my life and the lives of my family.
again this week faced with the brevity of our lives
i was reminded what i know that we all know.
love others well
be kind to everyone
& make relationships a priority

Ephesians 5:15-16

 Be very careful, then, how you live
not as unwise but as wise, 
making the most of every opportunity, 
because the days are evil. 

on a lighter note, while thinking about women & friendships,
 i thought about one of my all time favorite movies.
i'll leave you with this scene~

29 comments:

Maria said...

Dear Paige,

I just put my make up on before I read your post. BIG MISTAKE because I just cried it off. I love Steel Magnolia's because it's about friendship but it makes me cry (the ugly kind of cry with snot and a red face).

Becka's husband and babies are now on my prayer list.

Have a wonderful week, you rockstar runner!

{A*very} Blessed Life said...

Tissues please! Beautiful post Paige. I will be keeping your friend's family in my prayers. What a legacy to leave. Thank you for sharing her with us.

3 Peanuts said...

Wow...there is a lot in her from cowboy boots and cheeseburgers to deep life issues. I am so sorry for the loss of Becka. So sad. I love that Bible verse and have been meditating on it lately.

I have no cowboy bots...can you believe it? ANd I live in Houston, TX...home of the largest rodeo! I might just need a pair. Please share your boot buying tips:)


Don't give up on that Bible plan!! I am praying for you. You can do it. Make it a ritual, a habit.

I gave up on my 365. My kids just still require too much of me and I do not have time to turn out a decent photo every single day. Maybe when they are older:)

Hugs,
K

3 Peanuts said...

Again, I am just beginning to sip my coffee as I comment and I am full of typos...so embarrassing!

Farmgirl Paints said...

first of all you are a rock star...7 miles wowza! love the moon picture. that was gorgeous!~ so sorry to hear about Beka. you just never know what will be the thing that gets ya. so glad we have the assurance of a home in heaven. sounds like she did too. such comfort in that.

Renee said...

I'm praying for your friend Becka's family. Oh, that we each could leave such a legacy for our friends and family. Women friendships are intricate and beautiful and lovely.

You inspire me...just so you know. I know that you have been running for many years. I, on the other hand, have never run across the street. Something this year has prompted me to want to be able to run a 5K. I am forty something and my girlish figure has turned more...well, MORE. I found a handy dandy "Couch to 5K" running schedule and away I go. When I run, I think of you...just cause I know what you are doing is challenging you. I'm happy for you. You CAN do it!!!

I L.O.V.E. your beautiful boots. May hafta git me somma those!!! Have a beautiful week!!!

Kristin said...

I love this post.
I am so proud of you and your run.
So much that I would have eaten a McDonalds burger with you...Ok the bun and pickles, smile. But I would have tried the meat part too. Just to celebrate you know and giggle with you in being happy over your run.
Anyhoo...I love your boots..I now for some reason need them in black!
I have printed out the quotes {love them!} and love it that you took on Louie's message and found a verse to pray over you and your family. That makes me smile.
So much more to say but know you inspire me and so many.
Love you my friend.

Kristin said...

The second part is that my heart goes out to your friend and her family in this great loss. Life is so very fragile. To be a woman that changed lives quietly but boldly humbles me. I admire people like this and pray strength in time to come for their loss and just comfort on days filled with heartache. I pray memories great so great that that sorrows are more bearable. There really are no words. Just hard. My prayers go out to them.

Unknown said...

I love this post Paige....beautifully written, I really enjoy it when you talk about the community that you live in, they always sound so special. I am so sorry for your loss.

And that movie....haven't watched it for ages, that clip was wonderful xx

Sheri said...

So sorry to hear of the loss. She sounded like a wonderful woman - will keep her family in my prayers. Your post are the best - how you come up with all you do and put it into the words that you do is just AMAZING. All that and you can run 7 miles too - you are my idol :) Have a blessed week.

Shannon said...

7 Miles?? That is awesome Paige! Love your cowgirl boots :)
I'm sorry to hear about your friends families loss, that is just horrible.

P.S. about your link...I had to copy the image and then post the link back to your page. I thought it was just that I didn't know what I was doing so I did it that way instead so that is why it works on my page :)

The Flying Bee said...

I am just sitting here in tears...i will be praying for Becka's family. Steel Magnolias is one of my favorite movies. That is one of the best scenes.

way to go on the 7 miles!

xo,
Adrienne

Alecia said...

Strong work on the running! Keep it up...half marathon's got nothin' on you!

Sorry to hear about the loss of a sweet servant...the services sound like they were just precious. It brought tears to my eyes to read how the friend told each child and her husband how much she loved them and how she loved her husband so well to honor him in the presence of her friends...what a sweet godly example.

Love Steel Magnolia's...great clip!

Gypsy Heart said...

Wow, this made my eyes leak. I will hold Becka's family in prayer as well as those that loved her. Thank you for sharing Steel Magnolias too ~ one of my favorites!

Have a wonderful week ~
Pat

Gypsy Heart said...

P.S. LOVE your boots! :-)

Carol S. said...

Sweet post, sad news about such a wonderful friend. Seems each week I hear about another lost life, maybe it's my age. I watched the Steel Magnolia clip and it's great. Guess how old Dolly Parton was in that movie....


43. Wow, I'm older than her in that movie. Time marches on.

Debra said...

I am so sorry to hear about your friend at church. I love what your friend said about her never saying anything ugly about her husband. To me that would be something special to be remembered for.

Oh, how I love Steel Magnolias. Such a great story about girl friends.

Congrats on running 7 miles! That only happens in my dreams - and very seldom even there. :)

Between You and Me said...

just had my cry for today.
beyond sad for that man and his children and for your church family...

a kidney stone? AWFUL. thank God we can trust that our days are numbered and that nothing catches God by surprise...otherwise, we'd all have to walk around scared to death of dying.

love your words...
love,love,love your heart....


I used the very same half marathon training guide...i remember running the 7 miles like it was yesterday....

and, ice, ice baby was on MY running playlist, too...no lie.
I trained in the very same season that you are training in and ice, ice baby seemed appropriate for the weather and let's just face it...it made me smile cause it was such a good year the year that song came out....

Kerri said...

Be kind to everyone. This is so true. Life is short and we should all be filled with love in our hearts. So proud of your run! Congrats! And I am sorry to hear about the loss of Becka.

I just want to add that my mom reads your blog and LOVES your photography!

{A*very} Blessed Life said...

OK Miss Paige, I am back to tell you that as I was rounding the corner of my friendly neighborhood Home Goods, I spotted your Tolix chairs in a stunning silver gray for the basement price of $99 per chair. Just thought I'd let you know incase you wanted to check out your own Home Goods to see if these little gems are available there. If not, Knoxville only has one Home Goods, so I am sure you could give them a call. I mean, you did say those chairs might be life changing for you (wink, wink ;-)). I must say they are tempting! Have a fabulous evening!

Maggie said...

Wow I am soooo proud of ya for running 7 miles!!!!!! I just ram 3 and my feet are about to fall off......
Keep Going Girl!!!!!!!!

Pine Tree Home said...

I love this movie even if I bawl my eyes out every time.

Martha said...

so sorry for your loss and of your community....great job on the running:) and those boots are awesome:) and I love that moon picture!

Kelli said...

Go 7 miles!!! Now I have Vanilla Ice in my head :) You can catch up on your 365 reading...don't be discouraged. I'm still sticking with mine, I really want to finish this task. LOVE those boots and they look like they fit your style perfectly. I'm sorry to hear about the woman at your church.

Mary said...

Paige,
Your blog inspires me every time I read it.
I too have start to read through the Bible this year and am way behind on it already! It is so good to know that I am not the only one, thanks for being honest. You and your churches loss can be felt through the words that you wrote. Thank you so much for allowing me to peek into your life and for being open. You are a great gal, I can see that through the way you talk and the things you think about.
Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the running - I did the Hal Higdon schecule two years ago - I ran two half marathons and loved it. My time isn't important.

I.LOVE.YOUR.BOOTS.

Anonymous said...

That is a great legacy indeed. She sounds like a wonderful lady.

Way to go on the 7 miles! You're getting closer!
Proud of ya! You're going to have so much fun that weekend!

shelley said...

What a beautiful post! If we can all live our lives this thoughtfully, imagine the blessings! Prayers for this family & friends who will be missing their blessing.....

Privet and Holly said...

What a service
that must have
been....what a
special woman,
too. I am so sorry
that you yet again
had such a sad
service to attend.
The circle of life
sure ain't for sissies.
xx Suzanne